Leclerc reiterates commitment to Ferrari and believes the Scuderia will deliver

Leclerc doubles down on Ferrari commitment

Charles Leclerc has insisted that Ferrari remains family to him, even as the wait for championship success continues to stretch on. Since joining the team in 2019, the Monegasque has been unable to help drag the Scuderia back to the top of Formula 1, but his attachment to the Maranello outfit has clearly not faded.

Leclerc has taken eight grand prix victories for Ferrari, yet the bigger prize has continued to elude both driver and team. Ferrari’s last title came in 2008, when it secured the constructors’ championship, while its most recent drivers’ crown dates back to the year before, when Kimi Raikkonen delivered.

Having come through Ferrari’s junior pathway after joining its young driver academy a decade ago, Leclerc’s relationship with the team runs deep. He won the GP3 and Formula 2 championships before reaching Formula 1 in 2018 with Alfa Romeo-Sauber, but Ferrari has remained the defining destination in his career.

"Ferrari is family"

When Sebastian Vettel’s remark — that everyone is a Ferrari fan — was put to him, Leclerc was unequivocal about what the team means to him.

"Ferrari is family and a team that I've always loved and dreamed of driving for since I was a kid, and this hasn't changed one bit since I joined the team in 2019," he told media, including RacingNews365. "So, the passion is still there."

Leclerc made clear that his motivation has not dimmed, even if the results have not matched the ambition. "Then, of course, the will to win, and we want to win eventually, and I want to win. It's been so many years, obviously working with the team to try and come back to the top."

Pressure, patience and renewed optimism

Ferrari’s recent years have brought frustration, even with moments that suggested a breakthrough might be close. Leclerc looked set for a title challenge in 2022, while the team came near to the constructors’ crown two years later, yet neither campaign ended with the outcome Ferrari wanted.

That lack of fulfilment has naturally fed speculation about Leclerc’s future, particularly with his contract believed to run until 2029. Even so, the relationship appears intact, and the driver’s message is one of persistence rather than doubt.

With the SF-26, Ferrari appears to be operating with the second-best package at the start of the current season, and Leclerc believes the signs are at least encouraging.

"It's been a good step forward this year; we are just not yet where we want to be, and we'll keep pushing towards that direction," he said.

That optimism is tempered by the length of the wait, but not erased by it. "I hope our time will come soon because, yes, it's been a long time since I started, and obviously, time has passed," Leclerc added. "I'm doing my best, and I hope our time will come this year or as soon as possible."